Method for laterally moving industrial machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9803793-B2
Application number	US-201514737527-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 12, 2015
Priority date	Dec 5, 2014
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

A method for laterally moving an industrial machine is provided. The method may include: supporting the industrial machine on a pair of rail elements configured to be positioned laterally below and support the industrial machine, the rail elements allowing the industrial machine to be moved laterally from a first operative position to a second, maintenance position. A pair of linear actuators configured to laterally move the industrial machine from the first, operative position to the second, maintenance position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of laterally moving an industrial machine for maintenance, the method comprising:
supporting the industrial machine on a pair of rail elements configured to be positioned laterally below and support the industrial machine, the rail elements allowing the industrial machine to be moved laterally from a first operative position to a second, maintenance position by interacting with a pair of skids configured to couple laterally to an underside of the industrial machine and a pair of segmented support rails, wherein the supporting includes:
raising the industrial machine above a pair of machine foundations, each machine foundation including a pair of opposing piers on opposite lateral sides of the industrial machine;
installing a first segmented support rail at a first axial position of the industrial machine and supported laterally by the opposing piers of one of the machine foundations;
installing a second segmented support rail at a second axial position of the industrial machine and supported laterally by opposing piers of the other of the machine foundations, each segmented support rail extending a distance beyond a periphery of the industrial machine on at least one end;
coupling a first skid laterally to an underside of the industrial machine and in alignment with the first segmented support rail;
coupling a second skid laterally to the underside of the industrial machine at the second axial position and in alignment with the second segmented support rail;
lowering the industrial machine such that each skid is aligned in contact with a respective support rail; and

moving the industrial machine laterally using a pair of linear actuators, each linear actuator engaging a respective rail element and configured to laterally move the industrial machine from the first, operative position to the second, maintenance position by interacting with a respective skid of the pair of skids, wherein the moving includes applying a force using the pair of linear actuators to laterally move the industrial machine as each skid slides along a respective segmented support rail.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each skid coupling includes coupling the skid to a respective, axially displaced foot of the industrial machine.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each segmented support rail installing includes installing the segmented support rail in sequential segments.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising temporarily coupling a support rail extender to a first segment of a selected segmented support rail for spanning a gap between a pair of opposing piers of one of the machine foundations during the installing of the selected segmented support rail.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pair of linear actuators includes a first linear actuator coupled between the first segmented support rail and the first skid, and a second linear actuator coupled between the second segmented support rail and the second skid, and wherein the first and second linear actuator are synchronized with one another.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the force applying includes sequentially stepping each linear actuator along a respective segmented support rail.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the industrial machine raising includes using a plurality of climbing jacks for raising the industrial machine in a synchronized manner to a raised position above the first and second machine foundations.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising placing cribbing beneath the industrial machine for maintaining the industrial machine in the raised position.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising coupling opposing feet of the industrial machine together with a support member prior to the raising.

10. A method of laterally moving an industrial machine for maintenance, the method comprising:
raising the industrial machine above a pair of machine foundations, each machine foundation including a pair of opposing piers on opposite lateral sides of the industrial machine;
installing a first segmented support rail at a first axial position of the industrial machine and supported laterally by the opposing piers of one of the machine foundations;
installing a second segmented support rail at a second axial position of the industrial machine and supported laterally by opposing piers of the other of the machine foundations, each segmented support rail extending a distance beyond a periphery of the industrial machine on at least one end;
coupling a first skid laterally to an underside of the industrial machine and in alignment with the first segmented support rail;
coupling a second skid laterally to the underside of the industrial machine at the second axial position and in alignment with the second segmented support rail;
lowering the industrial machine such that each skid is aligned in contact with a respective support rail; and
moving the industrial machine laterally using a pair of linear actuators, each linear actuator coupled to a respective skid and configured to laterally move the industrial machine from a first, operative position to a second, maintenance position as each skid slides along a respective segmented support rail.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein each skid coupling includes coupling the skid to a respective, axially displaced foot of the industrial machine.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein each segmented support rail installing includes installing the segmented support rail in sequential segments.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising temporarily coupling a support rail extender to a first segment of a selected segmented support rail for spanning a gap between a pair of opposing piers of one of the machine foundations during the installing of the selected segmented support rail.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the pair of linear actuators includes a first linear actuator coupled between the first segmented support rail and the first skid, and a second linear actuator coupled between the second segmented support rail and the second skid, and wherein the first and second linear actuator are synchronized with one another.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the force applying includes sequentially stepping each linear actuator along a respective segmented support rail.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the industrial machine raising includes using a plurality of climbing jacks for raising the industrial machine in a synchronized manner to a raised position above the first and second machine foundations.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising placing cribbing beneath the industrial machine for maintaining the industrial machine in the raised position.

18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising coupling opposing feet of the industrial machine together with a support member prior to the raising.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Davi Michael Alan
• George Jayan Kaadaapuram
• Martin Matthew Robert
• O'Meara Sean Cornelius
• Yagielski John Russell

Classifications

• F01D25/28

  Supporting or mounting arrangements, e.g. for turbine casing · CPC title

• F16M1/026

  for housing movable engine or machine parts other than crankshafts, e.g. valve-gear housings · CPC title

• F16M2200/08

  Foot or support base · CPC title

• H02K15/02

  of stator or rotor bodies · CPC title

• H02K15/00

  Processes or apparatus specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining or repairing of dynamo-electric machines · CPC title